Woman fends off attacker near bus stop in Ferndale

Shannon Mann says strange man followed her from Detroit

Shannon Mann comes home from work every day to her 15-month-old daughter, Briana.

But on Thursday, her day almost had a different ending.

“When everything was happening, she was the only thing that was on my mind that I could actually think about,” the 24-year-old mother said.

Mann said she was approached by a stranger at a bus stop near 8 Mile and Warren in Detroit who asked her if she wanted a ride. She said he was in a blue/gray minivan – but she declined.

“He cooled off and came back a second time and said, ‘Well, you don’t want a ride or anything? Are you sure? The bus is not coming,’” she said. “I said, ‘I’m fine. I’ll just wait.’ And he said, ‘Well, I’ll just follow you until you get off the bus.’”

Mann’s mother said she started to worry when she got a text message from her daughter telling her that she was being followed.

The bus ride ended at 8 Mile and Livernois in Ferndale, but the encounter with the stranger didn’t.

“Mann said the man grabbed her from behind and tried dragging her.

“When I was walking, I was snatched back by my hood and we fell,” she said.

With her glasses broken, Mann reached for the only weapon she could – her keys.

With them wrapped around her wrist, Mann said she swung them backwards.

“I was trying my best to actually hit him and get him off of me,” she said.

Mann was able to break free from the man.

Police are analyzing her keys for any skin or hair evidence and are asking people to be vigilant.

Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.